RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic effects and apoptotic potential of N-butyl cyanoacrylate and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate used in surgical treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. METHODS: N-butyl cyanoacrylate and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate were cultured in cell-culture using human umbilical endothelial cell-line. Cytotoxicity and viability were assessed at 24 and 72 hours with lactate dehydrogenase and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays, respectively. Apoptotic potential was documented at 24 and 72 hours with relative caspase-3 activity. RESULTS: The mean cytotoxicity at 24 and 72 hours were: N-butyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 37.0±3.9%/29.3±2.7% and 46.4±1.6%/45.1±7.1%, 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 39.0±7.0%/37.3±4.6% and 47.0±2.3%/40.7±7.5%. Cytotoxicity increased by time in each group (p<0.05). The mean viability at 24 and 72 hours were: N-butyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 53.4±7.7%/72.0±5.7% and 35.7±1.9%/37.8±3.7%, 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 54.3±4.4%/73.5±19.9% and 33.6±2.8%/30.7±4.5%. The mean viability decreased by time in each group (p<0.05). The mean relative caspase-3 activity at 24 and 72 hours were: control group: 0.084±0.006 and 0.065±0.002, N-butyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 0.940±0.037/0.924±0.053 and 0.999±0.072/1.056±0.015, 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with an area of dot/line: 0.900±0.044/0.928±0.018 and 0.989±0.084/0.999±0.072. The mean relative caspase-3 activity was higher than control group in each group at each time interval (p<0.05) and activity increased by time in N-butyl cyanoacrylate line and in 2-octyl cyanoacrylate line groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that N-butyl cyanoacrylate and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate cause cytotoxicity in cell-culture media. We may also postulate that they induce apoptosis in cell-culture media.